


redamancy

by yuzus



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-11-02 11:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20723270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuzus/pseuds/yuzus
Summary: "In a world without that troublesome sun, dance together with me."Three moments of love shared between Ritsu and Izumi.Happy birthday, Ritsu. ♡





	redamancy

one. 

twinkly blue eyes looked up to meet mysterious red ones; eyes full of wonder and eagerness that shone lustrously under the glisten and shimmer of white gold fairy lights hung firmly on the wall. 

ritsu was always very in tune with others' emotions and feelings, in comparison to his own, but being face to face with izumi ー so close, he could feel his calm breath against his warm cheeks, made his head spin like silk. he felt so unsure, of everything ー watching his eyelashes flutter and sit gently on his skin made his stomach twist and turn, the way izumi sat leaning against his chest whilst putting all of his weight against him, looking up so cutely with ocean coloured iridescent eyes and being so attentive to every move ritsu made felt otherworldly.

izumi was only supposed to be here to give ritsu a heads up about knights' practice ー with the absence of their king, he felt so anxious about continuing it in his stead, but wouldn't let knights fall with no grace. thus he has no clue how he ended up in ritsu's room, which is far different than he imagined. it was just as dark as he'd thought, but seeing the white walls adorned with posters and photos of friends, books scattered on the shelves, school papers and piano music sheets spread across the desk. he glimpsed his eyes over the mysterious room and his belongings, before focusing his attention back to ritsu. 

"a-anyway, you didn't have to invite me in, i just wanted to remind you to show up tomorrow. here, you can have my number," izumi punched his number into ritsu's phone and shoved it back at him, "we can't slack behind anymore, stupid kuma-kun." 

the sudden unheard of nickname caused ritsu to stare at izumi and pondered in his head. he wasn't interested in taking part, but he's got nothing else to do, so he thought about joining just for the time being. this guy doesn't know much about him; he's not even sure if they have anything in common. but he's interesting. slightly captivating and holds an intriguing thought to ritsu's memory, so he accepts the request and in return hands izumi his phone number. 

"i don't really answer, but if i'm not around you can try calling me. just don't wake me up when i'm sleeping." 

ritsu warned, but izumi shook his hand and began to step away from ritsu's plush bed. he grabbed his belongings and said goodbye to ritsu, avoiding eye contact during the conversation. 

ritsu took no notice and crawled back into bed, touching his lips feverishly, pulling the blanket over his head. 

two. 

the blazing white sun splashed over yumenosaki’s sports ground, beaming through every wide window and stretching across the freshly cut grass. the students were warm and speckled with sweat drops, cool water bottles spread haphazardly and ice cream wrappers laid across nearly every inch of the gated area. ritsu was lying on the seats with his legs stretched out, cursing every second he had to stay out in this heat longer than he desired to. 

he could hear hajime speaking, talking directly to him but nothing was connecting in his head. everything felt distant and separate to his own thoughts ー like he was so engrossed in thinking, but feeling complete nothingness at the same time. he could feel the sweat dripping against his legs, irritable strands of grass were tickling his arms as he stretched out further, feeling the dirt and mud sink in his nails but he was too tired to care; he couldn’t care less if he even tried. instead he just let the miserable shine scorch against his weak, sickly body. 

ritsu woke a few minutes later to the sound of motherly nagging above his head, a vociferous figure with a berating tone that boomed through ritsu’s ears. 

“kuma-kun, what do you think you're doing? why are you so sweaty? do you not know how to take care of yourself? look at the state of your hands! sooo annoying!”

ritsu wasn’t too sure what the person with the incessant voice wanted, so he decided to ignore it entirely and turn over abruptly. 

“h-hey! don’t ignore me! get up you lazy kuma-kun!”

after minutes of shaking and pulling ritsu’s limp, lifeless body, izumi somehow successfully pulled him up and got him to sit under a shaded umbrella. after filling him up on hydrated sweet drinks and small pieces of tangerine, ritsu began opening his eyes slightly, rubbing them at the corners and expressing his true bright, crimson eyes. izumi surveyed him, looking over his chest and stomach, noticing the curves of his arms and watching how his hands moved across his face, small thin fingers swaying through strands of dark ebony hair.

“what happened to your hands?”

izumi spoke rapidly, catching ritsu off guard. he looked towards him, mouth opening ever so slightly. 

“heh, didn’t think secchan was the type to worry about other people~”

he teased him lightly, as he knew he was too tired and fed up of the day to try extra hard. he also felt bad for izumi, taking care of him in strange ways when he was so used to bullying people into doing it for him. instead, izumi took control of it straight away. his touch was kind and soft, not harsh or tough like he expected. having someone willingly help him when he felt at his worst made his heart quiver in a strange, unfamiliar way. 

“you think i want to spend my time doing this instead of other things? huh? i had no choice! i can’t let other people think knights is full of brats that don’t care about their appearance, and how they show themselves to the world! sooo annoying!”

ritsu giggled at that ー the nagging filled his heart with a honey-like sweetness, a smitten sense of warmth and laughter that almost let him forget about the disaster of the sports festival. the mellow rays surrounded them in a bubble of hot, sticky summer sun, izumi could feel the heat radiating from ritsu, the proximity between the two made his stomach turn and twist, as he gulped unconsciously and stared down at ritsu’s fingers.

he pulled them up between his hands and observed them intently, taking a wipe from his pocket and cleaning them delicately. the skin on his fingers looked broken and ripped, izumi could tell he didn’t take much care of his skin but the thought of ritsu having to suffer with aching and hurting hands made him feel unsettled. pulling the smallest ones towards his mouth, he kissed one gently, still keeping eye contact with ritsu, watching out for any discomfort in his face ー but his expression remained the same; slightly keen but a hint of embarrassment, a lusting desire to continue looking into izumi’s steel blue eyes. izumi kissed the other hand just as gently, before putting them back into ritsu’s lap.

he coughed under his breath lightly and stood up away from ritsu, scared to see his face but also to hear some under-handed comment or snide joke, but instead received nothing except a warm smile and rosy red cheeks aimed just for izumi. he turned back to flash a tiny smile, and set off on his way.

three. 

the ending of knights' repayment festival left a strong impression on ritsu. he felt conflicted ー happy, to see his dear friends resolve over a years worth of heartache and pain to see them all joyful, seeing them feel positive about the future, knowing that no matter where life will take them, they'll be okay and will always continue to be a family no matter what happens, or where they end up. it gave him something to feel delighted about; his radiant friends who carried this sword with him all along made such an impact on him, but also knowing he helped shape their lives in such a positive way and enjoyed his time with them to the upmost content. they will always be dear and special to him, so much it brought him to tears merely just thinking about how much he truly loved them all.

however, ritsu also felt sad, and hurt. he wanted to spend forever with them, to be by their side and continue having fun in their own wild, crazy ways. he didn't care if that meant having to chase ousama around the school with suuchan, or being forced to listen to naru and secchan bicker about silly things. with his entirety, he truly loved every second, every moment that gave him hope and a place to just be himself and find a sense of happiness. he had come to terms with accepting that they can't all be together forever, but will always keep that special year in his heart of the dear, precious memories he had with the four people who helped him stand on his own legs. 

it was especially hard, however, seeing izumi unexpectedly after the festival. he knew he would see him eventually, anyway, but the raw feelings and emotions were still heavy in his heart. instead of walking home, he decided to go back to the school ー to the place it all started. sena house, consisting of just a small kotatsu and a plethora of outfits and accessories, in a small room shoved in the back of a school corridor. it was warm and cozy and small and always gave off such a lovely aura, it helped ritsu feel comfortable and almost cuddled in, despite everywhere else in the world that made him feel lonely and cold. it was hard to revisit, but he knew it's what he needed to do. he didn't, however, realise he wasn't alone until he heard faint footsteps at the edge of the door.

"kuma-kun."

ritsu turned his head swiftly, at the call of his name, and almost leapt out of his seat when he saw his face.

"secchan."

"i had a feeling you would be here,"

izumi walked closer towards ritsu, fumbling with his pockets awkwardly, still wearing his stage costume, which fit almost perfectly for the timing. the shades were drawn across the windows, but seeds of light were let through from the outside street lamps. as they stood closer in almost pitch black, ritsu delicately reached his hand forward to grab his shirt.

"i just wanted to say goodbye,"

"this won't be goodbye, kuma-kun. not to knights, not to this room. not to me."

with tears forming in the corners of his eyes, ritsu grasped onto izumi's shirt, refusing to cry in front of him, but it felt so hard. he was so sad, but so happy, his heart ached and felt heavy but his shoulders felt lifted. it was such a different experience than he had ever thought it would be, and he knows that this is the best he could ever wish for.

"i want to love you, kuma-kun, so please don't say goodbye."

izumi pulled his hands between ritsu's soft hair and pulled him close, leaning against his body and breathing him in entirely. he could almost taste his sweet tears that rolled down his cheeks, making izumi's eyes fill to the brim as they shared one small kiss. ritsu wrapped his arms around him and leaned in, pulling down on his jacket collar and standing on the tips of his toes.

for what felt like years later, izumi pulled away from ritsu, clinging to his body whilst holding his hands tight. they stood there, in silence, for however long only they will know. as they hide away from the sun, they hold each other in the weight of their arms, a silent oath to always remain intact, a vow of illuminated desire.

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday ritsu i love you So much


End file.
